Modern Pentathlon - Pentathlon Event - Olympic Pentathlon Modern Pentathlon - Pentathlon Event - Olympic Pentathlon An athletic event comprising of five events Discus throw, Javelin, long jump, foot race and wrestling. Modern Pentathlon opposed to this comprises of Pistol Shooting, Fencing, Swimming, Riding & Running. Pentathlon Pentathlon is a composite athletic event, encompassing target shooting, fencing, swimming, equestrian Show Jumping and cross-country running. Pentathlon games are an optimum blend of an athlete’s strength, skill, timing, endurance and determination. Each contestant must participate in all five sporting events, one after the other in order to win the pentathlon. Pentathlon History Ancient Greek Pentathlon, a primitive version of the modern day pentathlon was introduced during 708 BC. The sport comprised five games - Discus, Javelin, long jump, foot race and wrestling. Discus, Javelin and Long jump were categorized solely as pentathlon events and were generally not played as individual sports. These games were a test of a participant’s strength and timing. The discus throw area was very small and barely sufficient for an individual to stand erect.

The discus to be thrown weighed around 14 pounds, 10 ounces. The ancient Greek javelin was 6 feet long and as thick as a finger. It was made of wood and contained a metal point at the end. A throw strap was wrapped in the middle to provide the participants a better grip. Long jump was accompanied by carrying weights. Contestants carried stone or metal weights of four to eight pounds during long jumps. There were four categories of foot races. ‘ Stade’ – 200 yards race ‘ Diaulos’ and ‘Hoplitodromos’ – Known as race in armor, 400 yards long ‘Dolichos’ – Races that ranged between 7-24 stades, although they averaged at 20 stades. In wrestling, the opponents grappled each other to the ground without striking. Participants rubbed themselves in oil and power/dust to get a good grip. Wrestling was categorized into three groups – boys, youth and men. Pentathlon was an entirely men’s event until women participation began around the late 1970s. The first women’s world championship was played in the year 1980.

Modern pentathlon games are single day sporting events that embrace five different sports, played one after the other in the predetermined sequence. Each game is designed to test the contestant’s skill, dexterity, focus and agility. Accurate timing and precision is fundamental to the sport. Modern Pentathlon Events Modern pentathlon originated from the military and was a test of the officers’ courage, co-ordination, physical fitness, self-discipline and flexibility. The pentathlon games initially lasted for five days with one event contested each day. In 1984, it was made a four-day event, with both pistol shooting and cross-country run conducted on the fourth and final day. Since 1996, the pentathlon is held as a single day event with all five events contested one after another. Modern pentathlon games are scored on a scale of 1000 points for the prescribed time. For any amount of time taken beyond or below the prescribed time, the prescribed point limit is reduced or added to the initial start up points. Pistol Shooting – The range of the target is 10 meters and contestants generally use a big bore standard rifle. Each contestant is allowed 20 shots within a time period of 40 seconds.

The target is a stationary concentric ring 155 mm in diameter. An optimum pentathlon score is 172 out of 200 that gives the contestant 1000 pentathlon points. The shooting targets are changed after each shot. The shooting program is 5 sighting shots in 5 minutes, 10 shots precision fired in 10 minutes and 10 rapid-fire shots in 1 minute. 12 pentathlon points are gained for every target point above 172 whereas 12 pentathlon points are reduced for every target point below 172. Fencing – For fencing matches, epee swords are used and the target is the opponent’s entire body. Scoring is done through electronic tips at the end of each sword. Either contestant has to achieve one hit per minute, else it is registered as defeat for both. Swimming – Participants have to cover a distance of over 200 m in free-style. The favorable time limits in order to gain 1000 pentathlon points are 2 minutes 30 seconds for men and 2 minutes 40 seconds for women.

Every 3/10 seconds above or below this time will result in a subtraction or addition of 4 points. Riding – Show jumping obstacles is the most challenging among all pentathlon events since the contestants ride unfamiliar horses that are randomly picked by lots. The riding track is 350-400m in length and the obstacles may be up to 120 cm high and 130 cm wide. Each participant is entitled 5 practice fences. Riding competitions start with 1,100 points. A rider loses 30, 40 or 60 points respectively for every knockdown, disobedience to jump and fall off from the horse. Running – Pentathlon running is a 3,000m cross-country/road course for both men and women. The regular score is 100 points within 10 minutes for men and 11 minutes 20 seconds for women. For every half-second above or below this standard, the contestant gains or loses 2 points. Olympic Pentathlon Modern pentathlon games were introduced in the 1912 Olympics.

Initially only army officers participated in modern pentathlon games and they were a test of military skills among the military academies. The credit for the Olympic pentathlon goes to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, chief founder of modern Olympic games. Women’s pentathlon was introduced in the 20 Olympic games. Olympic pentathlon games initially comprised: - 5000-meter cross-country ride 22-caliber pistol shot from 25 meters at moving target. Pentathlon World Championships The pentathlon world championships are played each non-Olympic year. The championships are held for men and women participants as well as for junior contestants (boys and girls 17-18 years). Pentathlon World Championships include an additional event – Team Relay. 16 teams of 3 contestants each participate in the continuous relay. Each team member contributes individual scores – Firing – 10 shots per participants. Swimming – 100 meters Fencing – one member from opposite team. Riding – 8 show jumps per participant. The pentathlon world championship is conducted in three stages. Qualifying stage for male and female contestants.

Semifinals for individual competition Modern pentathlon | Article about modern pentathlon by The Free Dictionary Modern pentathlon | Article about modern pentathlon by The Free Dictionary Related to modern pentathlon: triathlon , decathlon modern pentathlon an athletic contest consisting of five different events: horse riding with jumps, fencing with electric ?p?e, freestyle swimming, pistol shooting, and cross-country running Pentathlon, Modern a sports contest involving five events: namely, a steeplechase, fencing with épées (bouts are fought until the first touch with each participant in the competition), rapid-fire shooting from a small-caliber pistol (20 shots in four series), swimming (300-m freestyle), and a cross-country race over broken terrain (4,000 m for adults and 3,000 m for juniors). Competitions are held over a period of five days with one event per day. The overall final rankings of the participants are determined by the sum of the points received in each event. Composite sports events applying skills and abilities necessary for a soldier have been known since ancient times, for example, the pentathlon in the ancient Greek Olympic Games.

During the second half of the 19th century in Sweden, and subsequently in other countries, competitions were held in a military pentathlon—a sports contest reflecting the essence of an officer’s military training; the events included horseback riding, fencing, shooting, swimming, and running. In 1912 a form of military pentathlon developed by P. de Courbetin was included in the Olympic Games. Until 1948 only officer-athletes were allowed to take part in competitions. The current name for this composite event was acquired in 1948, when the International Pentathlon Union (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon, UIPMB) was founded in London. In 1974 the UIPMB united 44 national federations. Since 1949 world championships in the pentathlon have been held every year, except in the years of Olympic Games. Since 1965 annual competitions have been held for juniors as well. In the USSR the first pentathlon competitions were held in 1947, and national championships have been held every year since 1953.

In 1952 the pentathlon was included in the Uniform All-Union Sports Classification, and the USSR Federation of the Modern Pentathlon was established, becoming a member of the UIPMB that same year. In 1974 about 5,000 athletes in the USSR were engaged in the pentathlon, including approximately 250 masters of sports, as well as 38 honored masters of sports and honored coaches. The pentathlon has attained its greatest development in Hungary, the USSR, Sweden, the USA, Finland, France, Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, and Bulgaria. At the Olympic Games the individual championship has been won nine times by the pentathletes of Sweden and three times by those of Hungary. The team championship (established in 1952) has been won three times each by athletes from Hungary and the USSR. At the world championships, USSR pentathletes have won nine individual and nine team championships; the Hungarians have won seven individual and seven team championships; and the Swedes have won four individual and four team championships. Among the world champions are the Soviet athletes I. A. Novikov, K. P.

Sal’nikov, E. S. Sdobnikov, B. G. Onishchenko, and P. S. Lednev. L. Hall (Sweden) and A. Balczó (Hungary) have won the world and Olympic championships several times. Since the 1970’s modern pentathlon contests for women have been organized in the USSR, France, Austria, Great Britain, and other countries. O. I. C HUVILIN modern pentathlon - WordReference.com Dictionary of English modern pentathlon WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2017 mod′ern pentath′lon, Sportan athletic contest comprising five different events, a 300-meter freestyle swim, a 4000-meter cross-country run, a 5000-meter equestrian steeplechase, épée fencing, and pistol target-shooting at 25 meters, the winner being the contestant with the highest total score. Also called military pentathlon, pentathlon.

1940–45 Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: modern pentathlon n an athletic contest consisting of five different events: horse riding with jumps, fencing with electric épée, freestyle swimming, pistol shooting, and cross-country running 'modern pentathlon' also found in these entries: Forum discussions with the word(s) "modern pentathlon" in the title: No titles with the word(s) "modern pentathlon". OUMPA: History of the Modern Pentathlon Club Newsletter The History of the Modern Pentathlon Admiration for the ancient pentathlon was fully shared by the founder of the modem Olympic Games, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. He persuaded the Olympic Committee to introduce Modem Pentathlon at the 5th Olympic Games of the modem era in Stockholm, Sweden in 1912. Baron Pierre de Courbertin It was his belief that this event, above all others, "tested an athlete's moral qualities as much as their physical resources and skills, producing thereby the ideal, complete athlete." The legend of modern pentathlon is of a Napoleonic cavalry officer who is sent to deliver an urgent dispatch.

Given an unfamiliar horse, he rode across challenging terrain under enemy fire shooting a number of his pursuers. His ammunition expended, he was then confronted by a soldier with his sword drawn. He won the duel and remounted his horse only to reach a river which his steed could not cross. Our gallant hero swam the river and then ran the rest of the way to deliver his message successfully. Thus the modern pentathlon's five disciplines - show-jumping, shooting, fencing, swimming and cross-country running - were chosen. Baron Pierre de Courbertin sought to include in the Modern Olympics an event which embraced the spirit of the ancient pentathlon where pentathletes competed in the diverse disciplines of discus, javelin, jumping, running and wrestling. He achieved his goal in 1912 when modern pentathlon was introduced at the Olympic Games in Stockholm. Please take a minute to visit our sponsor. Local businesses, for more information on sponsoring OUMPA - Oxford University's Sports Fedaration "Club of the Year 2005/06" - please contact the Webmaster for more information.

Modern Pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Individual | Olympics at Sports-Reference.com Modern Pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Summer Games: Men's Individual Events: Host City: Stockholm, Sweden Venue(s): , Rinkeby; Kaknäs, Djurgården, Stockholm; Östermalm Sporting Grounds, Stockholm; Stockholm Olympic Stadium, Stockholm; Swimming Stadium, Djurgården Bay, Stockholm Date Started: July 7, 1912 Date Finished: July 12, 1912 Format: Point-for-place scoring. Georg de Laval Summary The modern pentathlon is a sport proposed by the founder of the Modern Olympic Games, [Baron Pierre de Coubertin].

He envisioned a competition which would determine the greatest all-around sportsman, similar to the pentathlon of the Ancient Olympic Games, as described by Aristotle, “The most perfect sportsmen, therefore, are the Pentathletes because in their bodies strength and speed are combined in beautiful harmony.” But Coubertin’s all-around competition differed greatly from the Ancient Pentathlon, which consisted of the long jump, discus and javelin throwing, a sprint race of about 200 metres, and wrestling. At the 1909 IOC Session in Berlin, he first proposed the modern pentathlon, which was then noted to consist of "... equestrian, running, jumping, swimming, and wrestling. Fencing or shooting could replace wrestling." It was not until the 12th IOC Session at Budapest in 1911 that Coubertin’s idea was accepted by the IOC Membership. He stated, "I had already submitted the idea to the IOC on two previous occasions, and my proposal had always been greeted with a lack of understanding and almost hostility. I had not insisted.

This time however the grace of the Holy Sporting Ghost enlightened my colleagues and they accepted an event to which I attached great importance\: a veritable consecration of the complete athlete, the modern pentathlon was to comprise a foot-race, a horse-race, a swimming race, a fencing match, and finally, a shooting contest, which I would prefer to have had replaced by a rowing race, but this would have added greatly to the difficulties of the organization, which was already quite complicated enough." At that 1911 IOC Session, there was some concern on the part of the Stockholm organizers about providing horses for the competitors. Lyberg wrote, "The matter of the horses to be used started a heated discussion. [Viktor Gustaf Balck] had reported that the organisers could not provide horses to the competitors. De Coubertin got very upset. This competition was 'his baby' and told Balck that he and his friends had badly misunderstood his intentions. As not all competitors could bring their own horses the only solution was that the organisers must supply all with horses and that a draw was to be made for the horses.

Balck was not happy but promised to provide the horses!) The 1912 modern pentathlon consisted of rapid-fire pistol shooting, épée fencing, a 300 metre swimming race, a cross-country steeplechase equestrian event, and a 4,000 metre cross-country run. Probably better termed the military pentathlon, a press release from the UIPMB (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon) described the choice of the events, "The choice of the five diverse and unrelated sports which make up the Modern Pentathlon arose out of the romantic, rough adventures of a liaison officer whose horse is brought down in enemy territory; having defended himself with this pistol and sword he swims across a raging river and delivers the message on foot." The 1912 Olympic modern pentathlon was the first time the event was ever contested, with the exception of Olympic trials in Sweden shortly before the Olympics. Because of its military imagery, most of the competitors were military officers. Many of the competitors also came to the modern pentathlon from other sports, using their skills in those sports to aid their training for the combined event.

At Stockholm, 12 of the 32 modern pentathletes competed in another sport during the Olympics. The oldest participant in 1912 was [Carl Pauen] (GER) who was born on 7 April 1859 and was thus 53 years old in 1912. He retired, for reasons not known, after the first event, the shooting. Sweden trained athletes specifically for the modern pentathlon in 1912, and their athletes dominated, as would be expected from their training. They entered 12 athletes, and Swedes finished in the first four places, six of the top seven, and seven of the top nine. Scoring was by a point-for-placed system for each of the five separate competitions. The first event was shooting and three Swedes led, with [Gösta Åsbrink] winning the event with 20 hits, no misses, and 193 points. His teammates, [Georg de Laval] and [Gösta Lilliehöök] finished 2nd and 3rd.

Swimming was held on the 2nd day, and de Laval and Åsbrink were equal 1st with 5 points after the swim competition ended. The best swim time was made by [Ralph Clilverd] (GBR) who swam the 300 metres in 4:58.4. The 3rd and 4th days of the competition were devoted to the round-robin épée fencing. The best performance in fencing was by Sweden's [Åke Grönhagen], who won 24 of 26 matches. After three events, Georg de Laval led with 15 points, Lilliehöök second with 18 points, Åsbrink third with 20 points, and Clilverd in fourth with 22 points. Georg de Laval maintained his lead after the riding competition. He finished third in the riding, for 18 points after four events, and a four-point lead over Lilliehöök going in to the final cross-country run. The riding was also won by Grönhagen, who moved up to 3rd place with 25 points.

After four events, Gösta Åsbrink was in fourth place with 27 points. He won the final event, the 4,000 metre run in 19:00.9, to finish with 28 points, but it was not enough. Gösta Lilliehöök finished 5th in the run to beat Åsbrink by one point, 27-28, and win the first Olympic modern pentathlon. Georg de Laval finished 12th in the run to fall to third place overall. In addition to his gold medal, Lilliehöök was awarded possession of the Challenge Trophy for the modern pentathlon, which had been donated for the Stockholm Olympics by de Coubertin. All of the 32 competitors at Stockholm were men, and through 1996, women's modern pentathlon was not contested at the Olympics, although it has been a World Championship event since 1981 and women débuted in Olympic modern pentathlon at Sydney in 2000. But a British woman did attempt to compete in the 1912 modern pentathlon.

The story was first reported in the newspapers on 7 July 1912, oddly in the Louisville Courier-Journal. The headline noted, “GIRL TO ENTER OLYMPIC GAMES. Miss Helen Preece, "Women's Hope, To Take Part In The Contests To Be Held At Stockholm." Sections of this story are as follows: LONDON, July 6. - Englishwomen are expecting Miss Helen Preece, a 15-year-old horsewoman, to accomplish great things at the Olympic games at Stockholm this month. Miss Preece, who will be the only female representative at the games, has won fame here as an expert horsewoman and athlete generally, and her abilities are not [un]known in the United States. At New York in November last, at the Madison Square Garden Horse Show, Miss Preece won outright the $1,000 gold cup, open to the world for riding, in addition to many other “blues.” “I have entered for several contests there,” she said, “but my particular ambition is to carry off the first prize in the great competition.

That is a stiff proposition, I admit, since it includes five different events\: A cross-country ride of 4,000 meters (about two and one-half miles); riding over a course of 5,000 meters; swimming 300 meters; fencing and shooting with a revolver at a target twenty-five meters distant. “A formidable list, you will agree, and all have to be won, but father and friends, under whose guidance I am now undergoing quite an arduous course of training, seem to have every confidence in me, and, of course, I myself am enthusiastic. “I have obtained special leave of absence from my school in Hertfordshire, and my day's work now commences as early as 5 o'clock every morning, and only ends with bedtime at 8 o'clock. “A varied program is mapped out for me each day, but it always includes riding, shooting, swimming, running and walking practice, and today I have been put on a special diet, also, so that I should be absolutely fit for the Pentathlon on July 11.

“The one thing that worries me is the fact that I shall be the only woman competitor in this particular contest; it may make me nervous.” Referring to her New York visit, Miss Preece said: “I had a great time out there. Everybody was so good to me and I made many friends. The American women are fine riders and their sportsmanship is great. They seem to take a far greater active interest in sports generally than do the women in England.” But it never came to pass and Miss Preece did not compete at Stockholm. [Robert de Courcy Laffan], Honorary Secretary of the British Olympic Association, wrote to the Stockholm organizing committee on 2 May 1912, )We have had an application from a lady to be allowed to enter for the Modern Pentathlon in the Olympic Games of Stockholm. I presume from your telegram of March 22nd stating that the Horse Riding Competitions are only open to gentlemen riders, that the Modern Pentathlon is not open to ladies.

I do not however feel authorised to decide this question absolutely, and therefore beg to refer it to you for a definite decision.) Laffan's sign-off may reveal something about his own feelings on this matter, )Believe me, Gentlemen, Very sincerely yours ...) On 8 May 1912, Kristian Hellström, secretary of the Stockholm organizing committee forwarded a copy of the letter to Coubertin. Coubertin wrote of the situation in Revue Olympique, "The other day an application came signed by a neo-Amazon who wanted to compete in the Modern Pentathlon and the Swedish Committee, who was left free to decide in the absence of fixed legislation, refused that application." Coubertin answered Hellström, presumably shortly thereafter, although the letter has no date: "As to the Modern Pentathlon I am personnally [sic] opposed to the admittance of ladies as competitors in the Olympic Games. But as they are this time admitted as tennis players, swimmers etc. I do not see on what ground we should stand to refuse them in the Pentathlon. However, I repeat that I greatly regret the fact.

Therefore I leave to you to decide and if you refuse or accept the engagement, I shall agree with you." Given Coubertin's letter, and the date of the newspaper article (7 July), it is possible that Hellström allowed Miss Preece to enter, but that some other circumstance prevented her from competing. There is no mention of this situation in the Official Report. Nothing further is known about Helen Preece. The first non-Swedish finisher was an American, Lieutenant [George Patton], who finished fifth, and later became a very famous American general. Patton attended college at the United States Military Academy at West Point (NY), where he competed in football, track, fencing, and shooting, graduating in 1909. He also excelled as a horseman in the military. His all-around athletic prowess made him a natural to compete in an event such as the modern pentathlon. He never came close to winning, because his worst event was the first one, the shooting, and it put him hopelessly behind. He scored only 150 points, finishing in 21st place. But in the remaining four events, he finished seventh, fourth, sixth, and third, to move up into fifth place overall.

As a military man, Patton wrote a summary of his competition in the modern pentathlon, and this has been well chronicled by Harold "Rusty" Wilson, Ph.D. in "A Legend in His Own Mind\: The Olympic Experience of General George S. Patton, Jr." In Wilson's article, Patton's actual performances are compared to those of Patton's report. To be kind, it is obvious that Patton exaggerated his performances in his report. Lieutenant Patton was eventually promoted to General and served with honor in Northern Africa and Europe during World War II. He led the United States 3rd Army, fighting against Rommel's Africa Corps, participated in the United States' invasion of Sicily, and at the Battle of the Bulge. His career has been immortalized in several biographies and also in an Academy Award winning movie of his life, entitled simply "Patton". A Sports Reference Site : About SR/Olympics | Privacy Statement | Conditions & Terms of Service | Use of Data Data provided by OlyMADMen , led by Hilary Evans, Arild Gjerde, Jeroen Heijmans, and Bill Mallon.

Members: David Foster, Martin Frank, Jørn Jensen, Carl-Johan Johansson, Taavi Kalju, Martin Kellner, George Masin, Stein Opdahl, Wolf Reinhardt, Ralf Regnitter, Paul Tchir, Magne Teigen, Christian Tugnoli, Morten Aarlia Torp, and Ralf Schlüter. Sports Reference LLC and are not sponsored by or affiliated with the Olympics, the United States Olympic Committee or the International Olympic Committee. Trademarks featured or referred to on this website are the property of their respective trademark holders and not Sports Reference LLC or . Part of the Graham Maas: Planning for the Olympic Pentathlon | Plymouth Graham Maas: Planning for the Olympic Pentathlon A 13-year-old Plymouth boy wants to excel in this multi-faceted competition. Graham Maas is a young man on the move. On a nearly daily basis, the 13-year-old Plymouth boy does some combination of fencing, swimming, running and shooting pistols. On most Sundays, he does them all in an eight-hour session. Graham’s mission is to master the four events that comprise the youth modern pentathlon.

His sights are set on the Youth Olympic Games in 2018 in Buenos Aires, and he’s off to a solid start with a silver medal in the Youth C (ages 13–14) division at Youth Nationals in July in Colorado Springs, Colo. This commitment started about 18 months ago, when he was stationary and watching the 2012 London games. “I wasn’t entirely sure what to think about it, but I had done most of the sports in it, so I decided to give it a shot,” Graham says. He started training full-time in 2013 after the Wayzata Central Middle School cross-country season was off his plate; he began shooting in January and took 3rd place at the Minnesota State Air Pistol Championship and in March, he started fencing. As a member of the Boy Scouts and a runner since he was six, the combined event of running and shooting was his strongest at the start. He joined a swimming team coached by Tom Franke, a U.S. Paralympic coach, and began shooting with his pentathlon coach, Todd McIntyre, a regional director of USA Pentathlon.

McIntyre, who has been involved in the sport for about a decade, says Graham will continue to improve in the pool, but what separates him are his shooting and fencing skills. “He is one of the best shooters in the country for his age,” says McIntyre, who has a stable of about six pentathlon athletes across the Twin Cities metro area. “Fencing-wise, he has two advantages. He is left-handed—it’s an unusual attacking position. The other thing about Graham is he has an incredibly fast hand. It’s almost like a rattlesnake. It is coiled and then it just snaps at you.” The Olympic pentathlon includes riding—a.k.a. equestrian jumping—a discipline youth don’t compete in on a national/international level until they’re 19 years old. Graham plans to begin riding lessons within the year, McIntyre says. “We’re not training one discipline, we are training six disciplines, all five individually, then all of them collectively,” McIntyre says. Graham’s parents, Jackie and Brian, have to think collectively, too.

“Who needs to get him to the next place at the next time?” Jackie says of the refrain she and Brian share about their son, who is also a straight-A student. “We only have one child, but it feels like three with how much we do. “What we want to do is pushed aside for his greater goal,” she continues. “It’s a long-term commitment.” What Is the Pentathlon? The modern pentathlon—fencing, swimming, equestrian jumping, running and shooting—is the only event devised specifically for the Olympics. It was designed to represent the abilities of a 19th century French cavalry officer during Napoleon’s rule and was introduced in the 1912 Stockholm Games. Modern pentathlete | Article about Modern pentathlete by The Free Dictionary Modern pentathlete | Article about Modern pentathlete by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Dictionary , Wikipedia .

modern pentathlon an athletic contest consisting of five different events: horse riding with jumps, fencing with electric ?p?e, freestyle swimming, pistol shooting, and cross-country running Pentathlon, Modern a sports contest involving five events: namely, a steeplechase, fencing with épées (bouts are fought until the first touch with each participant in the competition), rapid-fire shooting from a small-caliber pistol (20 shots in four series), swimming (300-m freestyle), and a cross-country race over broken terrain (4,000 m for adults and 3,000 m for juniors). Competitions are held over a period of five days with one event per day. The overall final rankings of the participants are determined by the sum of the points received in each event. Composite sports events applying skills and abilities necessary for a soldier have been known since ancient times, for example, the pentathlon in the ancient Greek Olympic Games. During the second half of the 19th century in Sweden, and subsequently in other countries, competitions were held in a military pentathlon—a sports contest reflecting the essence of an officer’s military training; the events included horseback riding, fencing, shooting, swimming, and running.

In 1912 a form of military pentathlon developed by P. de Courbetin was included in the Olympic Games. Until 1948 only officer-athletes were allowed to take part in competitions. The current name for this composite event was acquired in 1948, when the International Pentathlon Union (Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne et Biathlon, UIPMB) was founded in London. In 1974 the UIPMB united 44 national federations. Since 1949 world championships in the pentathlon have been held every year, except in the years of Olympic Games. Since 1965 annual competitions have been held for juniors as well. In the USSR the first pentathlon competitions were held in 1947, and national championships have been held every year since 1953. In 1952 the pentathlon was included in the Uniform All-Union Sports Classification, and the USSR Federation of the Modern Pentathlon was established, becoming a member of the UIPMB that same year.

In 1974 about 5,000 athletes in the USSR were engaged in the pentathlon, including approximately 250 masters of sports, as well as 38 honored masters of sports and honored coaches. The pentathlon has attained its greatest development in Hungary, the USSR, Sweden, the USA, Finland, France, Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Rumania, and Bulgaria. At the Olympic Games the individual championship has been won nine times by the pentathletes of Sweden and three times by those of Hungary. The team championship (established in 1952) has been won three times each by athletes from Hungary and the USSR. At the world championships, USSR pentathletes have won nine individual and nine team championships; the Hungarians have won seven individual and seven team championships; and the Swedes have won four individual and four team championships. Among the world champions are the Soviet athletes I. A. Novikov, K. P. Sal’nikov, E. S. Sdobnikov, B. G. Onishchenko, and P. S. Lednev. L. Hall (Sweden) and A.

Balczó (Hungary) have won the world and Olympic championships several times. Since the 1970’s modern pentathlon contests for women have been organized in the USSR, France, Austria, Great Britain, and other countries. O. I. C HUVILIN Modern Pentathlon - training, strength - World of Sports Science Documents Homepage :: World of Sports Science :: Je-Mo Modern Pentathlon The modern pentathlon is the only sport specifically invented for inclusion in the Olympic Games. The founder of the modern Games, Baron de Coubertin of France, created the modern pentathlon as an embodiment of everything demanded of a true Olympian: athleticism, strength, grace, finesse, and coordination. De Coubertin determined that this event would have five distinct components, which The equestrian event (horse riding) is one of the five events in the Olympic modern pentathlon. symbolized the five rings of the Olympic emblem and the five corresponding continents of the Olympic movement. The modern pentathlon begins with a pistol shooting competition, followed by epee (a type of fencing), swimming, equestrian (a horse jumping competition), and concluding with a cross-country running race.

In the ancient Olympics, the pentathlon was a significantly different competition. There were a series of events within each of the disciplines that formed the pentathlon contest. The three running events ranged from a sprint of approximately 200 yd (200 m) to a race of over 1 mi (1.5 km) in length. A jumping event, discus, and the javelin were included, as was an equestrian competition. Wrestling, boxing, and a primitive form of martial arts, pankration, were also included in the pentathlon at various times throughout the history of the ancient Olympics. De Coubertin, who served as president of the International Olympic Committee from 1896 until 1925, was a staunch advocate of the event, believing it to symbolize the ideals of the ancient Games. De Coubertin was successful in securing the inclusion of the pentathlon into the Olympics of 1912, strictly as a men's competition, and it has remained an Olympic event since that time. A women's pentathlon was added in 1980.

The disciplines that comprise the modern pentathlon are so disparate that few modern athletes embrace the sport, relative to the popularity of most other Olympic sports; the modern pentathlon is not contested with any public fanfare outside of each Olympic Games. The five events of the pentathlon are contested in a single-day format. The opening event, the shooting competition, is conducted by way of each athlete firing a 4.5 mm air pistol at a stationary target positioned 11 yd (10 m) away. Twenty shots are fired at 20 targets during this period, and each shot is scored relative to the center of the target. The second pentathlon event is the epee fencing event, which is conducted as a round robin tournament; every athlete fights one fencing bout with every other athlete entered in the event. A victory in each segment of the round robin is counted toward the athlete's ultimate score. Swimming is in many respects the most important part of the pentathlon competition, as the physical techniques essential to swimming success are usually acquired at a younger age than those that can be taught to an athlete in all other pentathlon disciplines.

The swim is a 200-m freestyle event, and the time achieved by each competitor is scored on a ranking system. It is common for successful pentathletes to enter the sport from a competitive swimming background. The equestrian portion of the pentathlon requires each horse and rider to negotiate a course with 15 jumps each 4 ft (1.2 m) in height, stationed at various intervals around a course that must measure between 350 m and 450 m in length. As with a regular Olympic equestrian event, a missed jump is subject to a deduction from the overall score of the athlete. Each athlete must compete on a horse randomly selected by the event organizers. Unlike any other multi-sport event, the cross-country running portion of the pentathlon represents both a race and an opportunity to salvage victory or an improved placing through the manner in which the race is conducted. The cross-country race is handicapped based on the standing of the athletes in the first four events. A time for the 3,000-m course that is less than the established standard gives the athlete a points bonus.

The runners leave the starting line in the order of their standing going into the final event, creating the visual incentive for the trailing athletes to catch the runners ahead of them. It was the dream of de Coubertin to create the quintessential Olympic event through the modern pentathlon. There is no question that the pentathlon is a demanding discipline, due largely to the diverse events. The five events are a classic depiction of an athletic ideal; they are also a sporting eccentricity, especially in light of the relative rarity of equestrians, fencers, and target shooters to the bulk of the modern sporting population. The modern pentathlon is in many ways the ultimate cross training challenge, from the endurance and technique of swimming and running, to the rarefied skills necessary to succeed in the shooting, riding, and fencing events. SEE ALSO

Question: Shooting, swimming, riding, cross-country running and what comprise the modem pentathlon?
Answer: FENCING